On The Front Lines

Everyday The Rutherford Institute is waging a battle to protect the human rights and civil liberties of all people. Whether challenging undue government suppression of civil liberties in the courts or calling upon political leaders to strengthen their commitment to universal moral values, The Rutherford Institute works tirelessly to maintain the rights enshrined in the Constitution, and regain those that have been lost to government intrusion.

On the Front Lines (Rutherford Press Alerts) will keep you abreast of the most recent actions The Rutherford Institute has undertaken in its fight for human rights and civil liberties. From pending litigation to victories for human rights and civil liberties, On the Front Lines is the place to find information on the most pressing issues of the day. The Rutherford Institute is waging for our rights in the courts and beyond. On The Front Lines will keep you up-to-date on the crucial battles

Recent Articles

January 09, 2020

Oklahoma Federal Court Rules That Trouble Understanding Police Orders Constitutes Resistance, Justifies Use of Excessive Force (Taser, Chokehold)

An Oklahoma federal court has refused to hold police responsible for brutalizing an African-American man who, despite complying with police orders during an arrest, was subjected to excessive force and brutality, including being thrown to the ground, tasered, and placed in a chokehold that rendered him unconscious and required his hospitalization for three days. In granting the police officers’ motion to dismiss a Fourth Amendment lawsuit filed by attorneys for The Rutherford Institute on behalf of Jeriel Edwards, the court ruled that Edwards’ confusion and trouble understanding police directions constituted “resistance” that justified the force used by the four police officers involved in the violent arrest. Institute attorneys argued that, as shown by dash cam video of the arrest, Edwards was peaceful, did not defy police orders, and did nothing to provoke the clearly unreasonable and excessive force employed by the police.

December 05, 2019

Elderly, Wheelchair-Bound Woman Alleges TSA Agents Groped Her Upper and Lower Body Without Warning in Full View of Other Travelers

The Rutherford Institute has come to the aid of an elderly Delaware woman who has alleged that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners groped her upper and lower body, including feeling inside the waistband of her pants, during a security screening at Philadelphia’s International Airport (PHL) earlier this year. In a request under Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law, Rutherford Institute attorneys have demanded copies of any video surveillance footage of the incident, which if confirmed, could support a Fourth Amendment-style lawsuit under a recent federal court ruling authorizing citizens to sue for tortious conduct committed by TSA agents. Institute attorneys point to numerous incidents in which poorly trained TSA agents have subjected elderly travelers to inappropriate touching, excessive searches and aggressive pat downs. For example, TSA employees reportedly ordered a 95-year-old leukemia patient in a wheelchair to remove her adult diaper so that agents could search her. Ninety-year-old Marian Peterson, also confined to a wheelchair, was pulled out of line for a random security check and according to her son, Joe, TSA agents “groped her. All of her body: her crotch, her breasts and everything else.”